The Accidental Winemaker

How one midlife woman reinvented herself as a vineyard owner and winemaker.

By Sharon Boorstin

Photograph: Photo: Shay Peretz

These days Hall is focusing on direct Internet and phone sales. "For a facility that produces a limited amount of wine — we released 1,800 bottles of Pinot Noir and 246 splits of Ancient Vine Angelica last year — it’s the only way to make a living," she says. Hall is also looking forward to seeing her kids for the upcoming bottling season; Niko is now a graduate student at the University of California, and Maggie attends New York University. "They used to complain about picking grapes at four a.m. or spending hours corking bottles," Hall says. "Now they’re proud to be part of a family operation." As if on cue, she points to a letter she just received from Wine Enthusiast: Gypsy Canyon’s 2005 Pinot Noir and Ancient Vine Angelica have both earned a coveted 92 rating. And she’s just getting started. This year, Hall wants to plant another three acres of Pinot on a hillside that overlooks her now-thriving Mission vineyard.